Airsoft vs. Paintball

Airsoft is a popular combat simulation game where participants are eliminated when hit by pellets launched from guns that resemble real firearms. In paintball participants try to hit each other with paintballs launched from a special paintball marker/gun. While airsoft is cheaper and provides a more realistic warfare experience, paintball is more popular, more organized and has larger events.

Comparison chart

Airsoft is a sport in which participants shoot round non-metallic pellets launched via replica firearms. Games don't have a standard definition as all sites choose to play their games differently.

Paintball is a sport in which players compete, in teams or individually, to eliminate opponents by tagging them with capsules containing water soluble dye and gelatin shell outside (paintballs) propelled from a device called a paintball marker.

Equipment

Airsoft Gun, Eye Protection (Some sites may make you wear a full face mask) and BBs. Everything else is optional.

Required equipment consists of a paintball mask, usually paintball marker (tags with barrel, etc may replace marker), tank, and hopper.

Guns

Full imitation firearms or 51% brightly colored 2-tone guns. The 2-tones are used to offer cheap practice guns to get people interested and due to law (See UK Airsoft laws). Guns are powered by rechargeable batteries, CO2 or spring.

Guns consisting of a tank and hopper. Aiming with a paintball gun is done by lining up ones nose with the barrel of the gun as "sights" on paintball guns are virtually useless. The gun can be powered by CO2 or HPA, although HPA is preferred.

Accessories

Magazines, BB-bullet (See revolvers)

Paintballs and hopper. Hoppers contain paintballs and all do so at different amounts. Different guns place the hopper either on top and in the middle or off to the side. Hoppers operate at different speeds, and many are available on the market.

Usability

Slightly more difficult to load due to magazines having to constantly be winded. Easy maneuver and carry around.

Extremely easy to load through the use of pods, pods are carried by pod packs and may have elastics to aid in ejecting pods faster.

Cost

Cheaper than Paintball. $10-20 per 5,000 bbs.

Paintballs are usually sold in "cases" consisting of 2000 paintballs. Prices may go as low as $30 for average consumer.

Contact

Some sites include 'Bang' and 'Knife' rules. The bang rule means that instead of shooting someone a meter away from you, you can shout Bang! in order to not cause them harm. Toy knives made of foam or plastic.

Contents: Airsoft vs Paintball

Difference in equipment

Paintball airsoft are similar in that they are combat simulation games that use replica guns. In both the games the aim is to eliminate opponents by hitting them. The rules, equipment and gear used are different.

Guns

In airsoft, the gun is made to look like real-world firearms. The plastic pellets resemble the bullets and are loaded as magazines just like with real guns. In paintball, the marker is loaded with paintballs through a bulky hopper. The gun has to be held upright for proper loading of the paintballs while it is easier to reload an airsoft gun.

Ammunition

The ammunition for airsoft can fit into a regular sized magazine. The small size makes it easier to carry around. Paintballs are large and the hopper is bulky making it difficult to carry around. The small size of the ammunition enables easy maneuverability of an airsoft gun. It is easier to single-out an opponent hit by a paintball as it marks the target with colorful paint. For this reason, it is easier to cheat in airsoft where there is no visual indication to mark a hit target.

Goggles and Masks

An airsoft player has to wear goggles to protect his eyes from injury while playing. A paintball player has to wear face mask while playing to avoid serious injury.

Cost of the equipment

Apart from the size of the ammunition, paintballs are more costly than airsoft ammunition. Most airsoft guns use rechargeable batteries or are spring-loaded. Hence, they are cheaper when compared to paintball markers that utilize CO2.

Roles of the players

The roles of airsoft players are based on type of weaponry. Depending on the nature of the gun, there are many additional roles that are not found in paintball. Long rifles are used by snipers, rifles and grenades are used by assault troops, shotguns are used to breach doors and close corners. Auto cannons are used by heavy weapons specialist. There are team medics in longer scenario battles.

The roles of paintball players are based on their experience and preferences. The players have the same weaponry. Paintball technology is used by military forces, law enforcement, para-military and security organizations to supplement military training, riot response and non-lethal suppression of dangerous suspects.

Cheating

This is a good discussion thread about cheating in paintball and airsoft. It's harder to cheat at Paintball because hits are very visible. Hits in airsoft are harder to detect not just for the person shooting but also the person getting hit. Airsoft relies a lot more on the honor system. The perception is that there is less cheating in paintball than airsoft but that could also be because cheating is easily detected.

Cost

People who switch from paintball to airsoft usually do so because of cost. Airsoft gear and guns (Amazon link) are much less expensive than paintball and it costs less to play.

Comments: Airsoft vs Paintball

Anonymous comments (5)

January 24, 2014, 7:18am

As for cheating in airsoft.. I'm using my friends sniper that has a 3-9x40mm scope, and we go out to an airsoft field where events are held almost every weekend with over a hundred players. Even though shots are flying at over 500FPS, with a scope like that I can see where the shots land. Typically, the slower the rounds fly the easier you can see them, and the faster they fly the more difficult unless you have a high fire rate or a scope, or decent vision. I'm not the best shooter, but 95% of the time, when I hit someone they'll call it. We allow anyone ages 12+, so newbs, amateurs, regulars and pros all come together and we're all pretty honest. I normally stick in a group and you're pretty much shunned if we hear or see you get hit and you don't call it.

— 71.✗.✗.172

14

February 18, 2013, 4:01pm

Personally I like airsoft better but it has to be what we call "extreme" airsoft. In short anything above 500fps with a limit of 800 fps.
Used to host games in my backyard with the ROTC Btln. I loved it. Had 30 acres of woods with creeks, foxholes, sniper posts, barbed wire, and 8 foot deep trenches. It would get intense and very competitive.
Another good thing about airsoft is that it's cheap. And even some of the best higher end guns are less than 1000 dollars usually. I started playing with the Limited Edition Navy Seal Frogman M4 by G&G. It was a very good gun. After a year or so I bought the ASW338LM Sniper Rifle and have been near untouchable ever since.
It all depends on preference. But I like putting on my old BDUs/ACUs and getting down in the grass and mud and shooting someone right upside the head..... it's satisfying... and not as messy as having paint all over your uniform.

— 75.✗.✗.99

11

June 18, 2013, 1:05pm

It seems that author has never really played a paintball game or even bothered to really get into it. He has good points about the costs but that's about it. He should try out scenario games that last a few days. Maybe then he will see what really is possible in paintball and not throw around silly arguments.

— 212.✗.✗.172

-1

June 26, 2013, 4:50am

This is so bias it's hard to read, the author offers exact prices for the airsoft side and just states "more expensive" on the paintball side. Also, since when is a paintball gun harder to carry then an airsoft gun, they are very similar. This is just annoying the amount of fallacies.